1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle, such as a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle, having a tailgate, or another type of door or closure panel mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal pivot axis.
2. Disclosure Information
Tailgates used with large pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles present a challenge to the motorist insofar as the weight of such tailgates and the height of such vehicles frequently results in the necessity of expending considerable effort to close the tailgate. If a torsion bar such as that disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,301, and which is illustrated in FIG. 5 of this specification is used, a problem may arise insofar as it becomes difficult to accurately and robustly set the side-to-side margins of the tailgate, while nevertheless allowing for removal and reinstallation of the tailgate. This problem stems from the requirement to position shims or spacers in the tailgate's main pivot mechanism. Shims are usually inserted in the pivot system under a bearing element. If, however, a fixed torsion bar is used, as with the '301 patent, the spacer could be lost because there is no provision for positive retention of a spacer. This problem may also occur with motor driven tailgates, because the drive mechanism will not, in most cases, be readily removable for the purpose of inserting a spacer at a pivot location.
A system according to the present invention solves the problem of accurately and robustly setting the side-to-side margins of a tailgate, especially for tailgates having the type of non-removable pivot hardware often found on tailgates or closure panels having torsion bar or motor driven lift assist.